CDC: Half of gay and bisexual black men will be diagnosed with HIV

Tremayne Perry is one of the lucky ones. A gay black man living in Atlanta, Perry is HIV-negative. And the financial manager is planning to stay that way.

“You have to have the conversation with your partner,” said Perry, adding that he gets tested for HIV twice a year. “Ask the question. Beyond that, even if everyone is negative, you still have to use protection when you are engaging in sexual activities. It is something that I practice. But not everything is 100 percent foolproof.”

Presented this week at a conference in Boston, the CDC study found the HIV epidemic is hitting gay and bisexual men the hardest. Overall, 1 in 6 gay and bisexual men will be diagnosed with HIV. That includes 1 in 2 blacks, 1 in 4 Hispanics and 1 in 11 whites. In contrast, the rate of infection for heterosexual men is 1 in 473.